Car seal



Jan. 25, 1927. 1,615,225

A. M. JOHNSON GAR SEAL Filed April 11, 1925 ANDREW M. dormsou' Patented Jan. 25, 1927.

ANDREW M. JOHNSON, OF PASCO, WASHINGTON.

CAR SEAL.

Application filed April 11, 1925.

The present invention relates to improvements in car seals adapted especially for use with seal locks of freight car doors. The primary object of the invention is the provision of a seal of this character which cannot successfully be tampered with and which is not capable of subsequent use after once having been opened or released. The device in which my invention is embodied is comparatively inexpensive in cost of production, is simple in construction and operation, and is efficient in the performance of its required functions.

The invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of parts involving the use of a metal seal parts of which are flexible for an initial bending, but breakable upon a second bending, as will hereinafter be more fully set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated several adaptations of the physi cal embodiment of my invention wherein the parts are combined and arranged according to modes I have so far devised for the practical application of the principles of my invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a seal made according to my invention from a single piece of metal, showing the seal open in full lines and closed in dotted lines.

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing a part of a slightly modified form of the device of my invention involving the use of twopieces of metal in the make up.

Figure 3 is a. perspective view of another modified form of my invention.

Figure 4 is an end view of the device of Figure 3.

In carrying out my invention as shown in Figure 1 I utilize a seal made up or fashioned from a single metal blank, such metal being of suflicient flexibility as to permit being bent to the desired shape and of the required strength for the performance of its functions. After having first been bent to sealed} position, any further bending of the parts will result in breaking to disclose that the seal has been tampered with by un authorized parties.

The seal embodies a strap 1 that is adapted to be looped for connection with a portion of the car door lock for the purpose of sealing the lock as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 1. This fiat strap 1 has a perforated end 2 and is bent over as indicated by full Serial No. 22.318.

there are two pairs arranged at opposite sides of the device. with the lateral edges of the reinforcing plate and are bent up and overlap the edges of the base plate of the strap to form a rigid structure. Two fastening tongues or fingers 7 and 8 are also formed integral with the reinforcing plate and project laterally therefrom as at 9 and are bent up and overlap the top edges of the base plate. In Figure 1 it will be seen by the dotted lines that the free end of the strap is to be bent down with the perforated end slipping down over the two parallel tongues 7 and 8. After the strap has been bent to proper position these two tongues are separated and bent respectively at 9. By turning the tongues downwardly and outwardly on the bend 9 they are laid out on the top of the strap end and flattened down parallel with and on the perforated end, to form the seal for the lock.

By this bending action of the two tongues the portions 9 are weakened in order that if an attempt is made to bend them upwardly to their original positions (to permit removal of the strap therefrom) the tongues will be broken off at this point thus indi cating that the seal has been tampered with. Inasmuch as there is no substantial strain or stress on these parts when sealed, the device forms a durable seal that will remain compact and retain the parts in proper position until the destination of the car is reached and the seal is to be unfastened by authorized parties or persons.

In the modified form of the invention in Figure 2 the strap 11 is provided with an integral head 12 at the extremity of the base plate, and the reinforcing plate 13 is a separate piece with integral pairs of attaching lugs 14; and the integral tongues 15 and 16. The tongues are bent around the base portion of the strap at 17 to assist the lugs in fastening thereinforcing plate to These lugs are integral iii) ill)

the base portion, and at 18 the breakable bend is formed at the base of the tongues.

Another adaptation of the invention is disclosed in Figures 3 and 4: Where the strap 19 is secured to the base plate 20 by rivets 2i, and the base plate is fashioned with an identification head 22. The fingers or tongues 23 and 24 are made up of a straight comparatively narrow strap 25 arranged transversely of the base plate and bent around it as indicated. The two tongues are notched as at 26 on their adjoining faces as best seen in Figure l. These notches or grooves extend transversely of the tongues and are of sufficient depth to weaken the tongues at the bend:ng point to permit them to be folded outwardly as indicated by dotted lines in Figure for sealing purposes.

The operation of sealing in Figures 2, 3 and at is the same that of Figure 1, the only difference being in the use of two pieces of metal instead of one piece and the additional use of the notches 26 to weaken the tongues if desired.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. A seal fashioned from a single piece of metal having a perforated end and a base plate, a reinforcing plate formed by a return bend of the base plate and an enlarged head fashioned at the return bend, attaching lugs on the reinforcing plate (werlapping the base plate, integral tongues on the reinforcing plate bent around the edges of the base plate and projecting therefrom for coaction with the perforated end of the strap and the metal of the tongues being such tlnu if bent out of alinement the tongues will break at such bend.

2. A seal comprising a strap having a perforated end and a base plate and enlarged head at its other end, a reinforcing plate having lateral lugs overlapping the edges of the base plate, an opposed pair of lingers integral with said reinforcin plate and overlapping the base plate, said lingers being bent to project in parallelism from the base plate and adapted to be bent down into alinement, and the metal of such fingers being such that if bent out of alinement the fingers will break at such bend.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature ANDREW M. JOHNSON. 

